Monday, July 27, 2026, Jay Silverman

Theme:  This puzzle PACKS a punch!

Jay Silverman handles acquisitions and development for media companies, with an emphasis on educational and children's programming.  He also writes crossword puzzles.  Those of you who hate foreign words in your puzzles got lucky today:  Jay studies five languages every day and holds the unofficial 7th place Duolingo streak record for almost 5,000 consecutive days of completing at least one language lesson per day.  Jay enjoys words!  More about Jay Silverman is at www.jay-silverman.com.

Some crossword solvers love a theme that is easily seen and helps with the solve.  Some solvers prefer a theme that is somewhat hidden and comes as a surprise.  Today's puzzle will delight the latter group.  The surprising reveal occurs way down here:

53-Across. Sets of sculpted abs, and what the ends of 19-, 23-, 24-, 36-, 46-, and 48-Across are altogether: SIX PACKS.  Let's look at the *ends* of the listed entries for those SIX PACKS.  Oh, but first, let's look at some SIX PACK abs -- for definition!

sculpted six pack

19-Across. Oktoberfest sausage, informally: BEER BRAT.  BRAT pack was a nickname for a group of young actors who often appeared together on screen in the 1980s:   Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Ally Sheedy, Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, and Judd Nelson.

23-Across. Returned home: GOT BACK.  A BACK pack is a fabric bag carried on one's back with the support of two shoulder straps.  School children use back packs to carry books and supplies; hikers use them to carry tents and sleeping bags.

24-Across. Raise a false alarm: CRY WOLF.  A WOLF pack is a family unit of wolves who travel, hunt, and rear pups together.  

36-Across. Soft R&B ballad: SLOW JAM.  JAM pack is a transitive verb meaning to pack tightly or to excess.  If you jam pack your back pack, the zipper may break.

46-Across. Skating hazard: THIN ICE.  An ICE pack is what my 95-year-old mother puts on her knees when she's walked too much.  I thought it might also be an accumulation of ice that melts seasonally, like a snowpack, but apparently not.

48-Across. Market research company often cited in car ads: JD POWER.  A POWER pack is (1) a portable charger for electronic devices, or (2) an adapter that converts household current for lower voltage appliances, or (3) a generator that powers heavy tools, systems, or refrigerated containers.  Yours truly carries the first type on most trips, and adds the second type when traveling to other countries.  The third type is not among my supplies.

Across:

1. Sarcastic ET of 1980s TV: ALF.  Same era, and yet not a member of the BRAT pack.

Alien Life Form

4. School vehicles: BUSES.

9. "That really sticks in my __!": CRAW.  Many bird species have a crop or "craw" in the throat, which is a pouch where food can be temporarily stored for later digestion.  If something hard winds up there, it can be irritating.  When people say, "That really sticks in my craw," they mean something is irritating to them and they find it hard to accept.

13. Laugh syllable: HAR.

14. "Humble" home: ABODE.

15. "Quiet, you!": SHUSH.

16. Blackjack card: ACE.  The ace is powerful in blackjack because it can count as 1 or 11.  A player's goal is to be dealt cards totaling as close to the number 21 as possible without going over.  Since the 10 card and the three face cards all count as 10, if you have an ace in your hand, there are multiple ways to reach 21 with just two or three cards.

Aces, baby!

17. News outlets: MEDIA.

18. Florida city near St. Petersburg: TAMPA.

19. [Theme clue]

21. __ pentameter: IAMBIC.  The most common meter in English poetry, introduced by Chaucer, and cemented into the culture by Shakespeare.  An iambic foot is an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable.  A line of iambic pentameter is five iambic feet in a row:  da DUM da DUM da DUM da DUM da DUM.  Or, Shakespeare:  "When I do count the clock that tells the time."

22. Soft murmur: COO.

23. [Theme clue]

24. [Theme clue]

28. Tennis legend Arthur: ASHE.

29. Chest muscles, for short: PECS.  Appearing immediately above the six pack abs pictured earlier.

30. Secondary Insta accounts: ALTS.  Secondary Instagram accounts, called "alts," let you separate your personal profile from a professional one, or use one account for a niche interest.

32. Dog park sounds: ARFS.

35. Feel crummy: AIL.

36. [Theme clue]

38. Deli bread: RYE.

40. Long part of a guitar or a giraffe: NECK.  Or both?

the elusive guitaffe

42. Causes of sorrow: WOES.

43. Solange, to Blue Ivy Carter: AUNT.  Solange Knowles is Beyoncé's younger sister.  Blue Ivy Carter is Beyoncé's daughter and oldest of her three children.  I did not know, did not care, and yet spent way too much time researching and illustrating these luminaries of contemporary pop culture.

Beyoncé and Blue Ivy                         Solange

44. Surrealist Magritte: RENÉ.  Belgian, 1898-1967.

"Attempting the Impossible" by Magritte, 1928

46. [Theme clue]

48. [Theme clue]

51. WSJ competitor: NYT.  Wall Street Journal vs New York Times.

52. Mended, as socks: DARNED.  Darning is a sewing technique used to repair holes in knit fabrics.

53. [Theme clue]

58. Stevie Wonder's "My Cherie __": AMOUR.  Blind since shortly after his birth in 1950, Stevland Judkins was a musical prodigy who signed with Motown records at the age of 11, where he was given the professional name Little Stevie Wonder.  At the height of his career in R&B, soul, and jazz, he used electronic synthesizers to be a one man band.  "My Cherie Amour" reached number 4 on the Billboard pop chart in 1969, and was Wonder's eighth top ten hit.

59. Former "Top Chef" host Lakshmi: PADMA.  Padma Lakshmi immigrated to the U.S. as a child, and worked as a model before hosting Top Chef on Bravo (2006-2023) and her own docuseries, Taste the Nation, on Hulu (2020- ).  She has been nominated for 16 Primetime Emmy Awards, and has written four books, two of which were best sellers.  Padma co-founded the Endometriosis Foundation of America and is a United Nations Development Programme Goodwill Ambassador.

Padma Lakshmi

60. Santa __, California: ANA.

61. Promotes heavily: TOUTS.

62. Ink mishap: SMEAR.

63. Bar barrel: KEG.

64. Finishes: ENDS.

65. Leavening agent: YEAST.

66. Bighorn's mother: EWE.

I love ewe, mom!

Down:

1. "Moby-Dick" captain: AHAB.

2. Ruth Bader Ginsburg's collar fabric: LACE.  Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933-2020) was a lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1993 until her death in 2020.  Prior to her appointment to the Supreme Court, she argued before the court as an advocate for gender equality and women's rights, and was general counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union.  

The Notorious RBG, 2016

3. Give away instead of throw away: FREECYCLE.

4. Panda's diet: BAMBOO.

5. Ridesharing rival of Lyft: UBER.

6. __ fountain: SODA.  In my mother's youth, there were dining establishments called soda fountains.  Today, a soda fountain is the machine that dispenses carbonated soft drinks in fast food places.

        old soda fountain                                                       new soda fountain

7. Amend text: EDIT.

8. Salty body of water: SEA.

9. Room: CHAMBER.

10. Ballroom dance from Cuba: RUMBA.

11. Gelatinous dish: ASPIC.  Aspic is a clear, savory gelatin made from meat, poultry, or fish stock.

aspic

12. Wallop: WHACK.

15. Jason of "Hobbs & Shaw": STATHAM.  Jason Statham is an English actor who plays tough or violent characters in action films.  Although he seems to be wildly popular and a bankable star, yours truly has managed to miss all his movies, including the whole Fast & Furious franchise, and the spin-off Hobbs & Shaw.  However, we will credit him with fitting a mini-theme today:

Jason Statham has six pack abs.

20. Competes on the crew team: ROWS.

21. Apple platform: IOS.  Apple’s iOS is the iPhone operating system.

23. Bunsen burner nozzle: GAS JET.  We used a Bunsen burner for something-or-other in high school Biology.  Typical uses are heating, sterilization, and combustion.  I think I would remember combustion.

Bunsen burner

24. Pro who's a master of deduction?: CPA.

25. Harness strap: REIN.

26. Kareem's former team, on scoreboards: LAL.  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:  Los Angeles Lakers.  Kareem's former name, on birth certificates:  Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr.

27. Bloom: FLOWER.

31. Number of players in checkers: TWO.

33. Rich dessert with a long shelf life: FRUITCAKE.  Fruitcake is made with candied or dried fruit, nuts, and spices, and usually soaked in liqueurs or brandy, which helps prevent mold.

Two years old and still ... good?

34. Lip-__: mouth the words: SYNC.

36. Barbecue rods: SKEWERS.

37. Campfire residue: ASH.

39. French summer: ÉTÉ.

41. Pastry hybrids: CRONUTS.

43. Actress Taylor-Joy: ANYA.  Just heard Anya being interviewed by crossword favorite Ayesha Rascoe on NPR about her new Apple TV series, Lucky.  If you ever get a chance to see Anya Taylor-Joy in The Queen's Gambit on Netflix, it's worthwhile.  This one?  We'll see.

45. "Toy Story 3" voice actor Beatty: NED.  Ned Beatty (1937-2021) was an actor (in movies even yours truly has seen!) and voiced Lots-O'-Huggin' Bear in the 2010 Disney/Pixar film Toy Story 3.

Lots-O'-Huggin' Bear and Ned Beatty

47. To some extent: IN PART.

48. Matchmaking platform available in Hebrew: JDATE.  How to meet other members of the tribe when Jews are only 2% of the U.S. population, and 0.2% worldwide?  Meet Jdate, the app for singles seeking long-term, values-based commitments.

49. Comedian Wayans: DAMON.  Damon Wayans performed on Saturday Night Live in the 1980s, on In Living Color (1990-92), and then a series of other TV shows, including the Fox television series Lethal Weapon (2016-2019).  His son Damon Wayans Jr. is following in his footsteps.

The Damon Wayanses

50. Self-satisfied: PROUD.

53. "We're on the __ page": SAME.

54. Bit of inspiration: IDEA.

55. Short holiday?: XMAS.

56. Was sure about: KNEW.

57. Fragrant herb: SAGE.

59. College maj. for an aspiring therapist: PSY.  An abbreviation in the clue calls for an abbreviation in the answer:  that college major is psychology.

Here's the grid:

Solvers,

Did any part of this puzzle stick in your CRAW?  Or cause you WOES?  Or make you PACK it in?

Perhaps, instead, you KNEW all the answers, felt wise and SAGE, and PROUD of your performance!

We are all UBER interested!  Please share your IDEAs in the comments below.

-- NaomiZ

Friday, Jul 3rd, 2026 ~ Jay Silverman

 D'Art BOARD

Girls Eye~!

I had a run of Jay Silverman puzzles on Wednesdays back in '24-'25, and his last LA Times post was in March of this year.  Today we have four 'pun-ishing' clues that "repronounce" an English word as a its foreign counterpart, with some humorous results - if that's your thing.  I liked the theme, just got stuck trying to find the one wrong square when I did not get my "ta-DA~!", and it was a name crossing one of those foreign words, compounded by a low Grid Flow.  Standard grid, a mere eight 3LWs, twice as many four- as five-letter words, no circles, two handfuls of names, three "others", and nary a Twurd to be found~!  The themers; 

17. Comfort that can only come from French bread?: PAIN RELIEF - It was the last themer that sent the V-8 can flying, and thus today I learned that the Frawnche word for "bread" is "pain" - pronounced all in the nose, sorta "puuhh(n)"

26. Creating perfect sunbathing conditions on an Italian beach?: SOLE PURPOSE - I was stumped at this themer, and the low grid flow meant only one crossing for help; don't know why I struggled to think of the Italian word for "sun", = "sole", with a 'flair' on the e, "sol-uh"

43. Positive review in a German newspaper?: GUT REACTION - pronounced "goot", this one made sense on my second pass . . .

58. Home for the king of Spain?: REAL ESTATE - and again with a differing pronunciation, "ree-ahl", which means royal, as opposed to "not fake" - learned from Spanish football / soccer teams

If you're American when entering a bathroom, and American when exiting, what are you inside~?

European . . .

Mais Aspettare Es Gibt Más~!

ACROSS:

1. Path behind a mower: SWATH - There's a guy who lives near me on rte 32 who takes the most meticulous care of his grass . . . and last weekend, I saw this thing cruising his lawn 

It's this $5349 mower AND snowblower 😮

6. Cheese in a Greek omelet: FETA - semi-Easter egg of old language, new crossword

10. Whack with snowballs, say: PELT

14. Goosebump-causing: EERIE

15. Person with a fan club: IDOL - person with a fan club; Billy Idol

Yeah, I've used this image before . . . 

16. Cooking spread: OLEO - learned by doing crosswords

19. Gradually introduce to solid foods: WEAN

20. Isfahan's country: IRAN - geo name #1

21. Claims that won't pass fact checks: LIES

22. Posh and __: nickname of a British celebrity couple: BECKS - name (ish) - the duo of 'Posh Spice' Victoria and David Beckham, he of European football ( soccer ) fame . . . 

Married 27 years tomorrow~!

23. Mesopotamian empire that included parts of 20-Across: ASSYRIA - geo name #2, but the circumreferential clue made it easier this time

25. Likely to be mouthy: PERT - I'll wash that mouth out with Pert shampoo . . . 

Plus~!

31. Software demos: BETAS

35. Capital of British Columbia: VICTORIA - geo name #3, and the #1 "other" Victoria . . . 🙄

36. Employs: USES

37. Spot: SPECK - Spot was sooo last week . . . 

39. Staple that's often helpful in a pinch?: SALT

40. Chased: RAN AFTER - I had WAS AFTER to start

42. Bench press muscles: DELToidS - AND - 38D. Bench press muscle: PECtoral - this one-arm out, one-arm curl & press is brutal - as you can tell from my grimace . . . down to 203lbs~!

46. Clairvoyant: SEER

47. Lost one's cool: SNAPPED

52. Word with act or action: CLASS - class act, class action

54. Political alliance: BLOC

56. Conditional programming word: ELSE

57. "Only Murders in the Building" home: HULU - Ah.  Where this show is to be streamed

60. Salchow kin: AXEL - Friday cluing for this crossword Olympics staple

There, that oughta clear things up . . . 

61. Zealous: AVID

62. Asked too many questions, say: PRIED

63. Unwelcome visitor: PEST - there has been a preponderance of big black ants cruising my home this spring, even with a dozen traps in the usual corners . . .

Look closer . . .

64. Funeral rite pile: PYRE

65. Senators' staffers: AIDES - the #2 "other" Senators . . . 🙄 - see below

DOWN:

1. Instagram filter shade: SEPIA - good WAG to start my Downs

2. Models: WEARS - I went with the noun, tried TYPES

3. Met highlights: ARIAS - "Met" = Metropolitan Opera

4. Lacking resonance: TINNY

5. Gender-specific pronoun: HER - HIS, HIM, or SHE, take your pick

6. Relating to offspring: FILIAL - how kids behave in respect to parents

7. Actress Falco: EDIE - name #4, crossword staple

8. Wiggled body parts: TOES - I can spread my toes like a hand - I'll refrain from posting an image

9. ET from Melmac: ALF - from the 80's TV sitcom

10. Confidence-enabling stance: POWER POSE - Had me thinking "Captain Morgan"

11. __ college: ELECTORAL - nailed it

12. Security breach: LEAK - Dah~! I tried HACK, 50% correct

13. Jillions: TONS - oh no~! is it a Twurd~?  ALOT, ATON~?

18. 2025 Pixar title character: ELIO - name #5 that caused me grief on my last themer fill

22. Muppet who lives in the basement of 123 Sesame Street: BERT - name #6; I tried ELMO

24. Blog feed letters: RSS - Really Simple Syndication - yes, really; more here

25. Senators target: PUCK - Got me.  Dammit.  I was thinking baseball - but they're the Nationals these days - this is the Ottawa NHL team, and I am ashamed I missed it on the first pass . . . 😒😞

27. Navratilova rival: EVERT - Tennis greats, but SELES was the wrong decade and name, #7

28. Camera shot: PIC

29. Sandy sediment: SILT

30. Noshes: EATS

31. Nondescript town: BURG

32. Biblical twin: ESAU - the birthright brother

33. Events in retail parking lots: TENT SALES - huh - a unique crossword fill . . .

34. Thus: AS A RESULT - three-word fill for a Friday four-letter clue

37. Elite athlete: STAR

41. Extra charges: FEES

42. Cold case sample: DNA

44. Tristan's beloved: ISOLDE  - crossword couple, name #8

45. Fairy tale start: ONCE - upon a time . . .

48. __ dish: PETRI

49. Flannel pattern: PLAID

50. Name in the makeup aisle: ESTÉE - Lauder, name #9

51. Monopoly stack: DEEDS - not MONEY

52. Bloke: CHAP - I tried GENT, 100% wrong

53. Quite posh: LUXE - the #3 "other" Posh

54. Quail group: BEVY - Right.  That's the word I could not recall

55. Bear necessity?: LAIR - a 'barely' bearable punny clue . . . 

58. Ice Spice genre: RAP - three-letter music genre~? Ektorp EMO or RAP

59. Ballston __, New York: SPA - geo name #10, but I had help - I lived in upstate NY for years, in Colonie, which is outside of Albany, not far from this place - and where Rusty Brain hails from

Click to see larger

Splynter

Grid Flow a LOW 16.1

Thursday March 12, 2026 Jay Silverman

Jay Silverman is no stranger to the LAT, and today presents us with a cautionary tale. Watch your step!

57. Deep part of the outfield, and an apt description of 20-, 28-, 37-, and 49-Across: WARNING TRACK. A WARNING TRACK runs along the wall or fence and is made of a different material than the grass field so that fielders can sense when they are getting close without taking their eyes off the ball. In this puzzle, however, each themed song TRACK issues a WARNING of some sort.

20. 2019 Dua Lipa hit single: DON'T START NOW. DON'T START NOW means telling someone not to begin an annoying, or unwanted behavior that they have a history of doing, particularly in a relationship context. 

28. 1986 Kenny Loggins hit single: DANGER ZONE. A DANGER ZONE is a restricted area with limited access to reduce risk and protect people from injury.

37. 2018 Cardi B hit single: BE CAREFUL. BE CAREFUL is a phrase used to alert someone to take precautions and pay attention to avoid danger, accidents, mistakes, or damage. 

49. 1972 Eagles hit single: TAKE IT EASY. TAKE IT EASY usually means to rest or proceed in a relaxed manner, but in this case, I think it's meant to calm someone down, as in, "Cool it."

Overall, I liked the theme, but DANGER ZONE seems different from the rest. It's something you'd read on a sign rather than something you'd say, but it does issue a WARNING. The downside of five long themers, however, is tons, lots, and even a lot of 3LWs & 4LWs, which made for a pretty easy Thursday.

Now, if you'll just follow me...

Across:

1. Grans: NANAS. My gramps was from Czechoslovakia and we called him Tata, which means dad. Here he is working on a giant ceramic insulator at General Electric's main plant in Schenectady, NY where I was born (in a hospital, not in the factory).

Tata (on left)

6. Deceptive action: FEINT. Deceptive action: FAINT. 

11. Trident-shaped letter: PSI. Ψ.

14. Exhaust: USE UP.

15. Heavy-duty cooler brand: IGLOO.

16. Shade tree: ELM. ELM is the 7th most popular street name in America because many towns and cities relied on them as a primary street tree. Unfortunately, by the 1970s, Dutch Elm Disease had destroyed millions of trees, fundamentally altering the landscape. That's the real nightmare on Elm Street.

17. __ rhythm: brain wave pattern: THETA. Θ.

18. Respectful refusal: NO SIR.

19. 2022 National Toy Hall of Fame inductee: TOP. The classic spinning TOP, along with Lite-Brite and He-Man dolls, were selected for their longevity, creativity, and impact on play. Longevity! Ha! I'd say that the TOP was in another league, one having been found in King Tutankhamun's tomb dating to 1300 BCE. 

Tut's top

20. [theme]

23. Dense grove: THICKET.

25. Change one's story?: EDIT.  Change one's story?: WAFFLE. With SYRUP, of course.

27. Marmalade bit: PEEL.

28. [theme]

33. Waffle topper: SYRUP. Insist on pure maple SYRUP. It's healthier and tastier than corn SYRUP - fit for a king! I know because archeologists stumbled upon a sticky TOP which led to the discovery of King Tut's tomb under this pyramid:

35. Irish designer Kiely known for her stem leaf print: ORLA. Keily ORLA began her career designing hats, and moved on to design work on handbags and a variety of other items including kitchenware and cars.

36. Some QB protectors: RGS. Right Guards protect quarterbacks from unsightly underarm stains.

37. [theme]

41. Australian bird: EMU.

44. On-campus digs: DORM.

45. Grassy yards: LAWNS.

49. [theme]

53. Third-qtr. month: SEPT. SEPTember falls in the 3rd quarter of the year, along with July and August. Those Caesars! It's one thing to have a building or a road named after you, but to have a month like Julius and Augustus do, well, now you're somebody.

54. "Juno" actor Michael: CERA. I first saw the Canadian actor as child in Arrested Development (very funny show, BTW) and he's played many nerdy characters since.

55. 10,000 square meters: HECTARE. A HECTARE is also 100 ares (100 square meters).

57. [theme]

62. Canadian prov.: PEI. Prince Edward Island is one of eastern Canada's maritime provinces noted for its lighthouses and iconic red sand beaches.

63. Pong platform: ATARI. Kong platform: NINTENDO

Donkey Pong

64. Photo finish: MATTE.

67. Oft-redacted ID: SSN. Because of rampant identity theft, Social Security Numbers are often hidden.

68. High anxiety: PANIC. "My SSN has been stolen!"

69. Beg: PLEAD. "Please don't access my bank account!"

70. Gobbled up: ATE. "Hackers ATE my savings!"

71. Crept stealthily: SLUNK. This looks odd in the past tense.

72. Incline: SLANT.

Down:

1. Energy bar bit: NUT.

2. Once-common wood for Louisville Slugger: ASH. This one's not ASH yet.

3. Requiring more help: NEEDIER.

4. Motorist's group: AUTO CLUB.

5. Defeat soundly, in slang: SPANK.

6. Secret social media account, perhaps: FINSTA. A FINSTA (Fake INSTAgram) is a secondary, private Instagram account used by individuals—often teenagers—to share unfiltered or silly content with a close-knit group of friends.

7. Showbiz grand slam: EGOT. Winning Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards.

8. Ingrid's "Casablanca" role: ILSA. Here's looking at her:

9. Pinot __: NOIR. Pee-no-more: see 11D.

10. Legal wrong: TORT.

11. Target of some air fresheners: PET ODOR. I had PEE ODOR at first, which is almost the same thing.

12. Hitting the brakes: SLOWING.

13. Little dickens: IMP.

21. Kristen's "The Good Place" co-star: TED. Kristen Bell starred alongside TED Danson.

22. Pince-__ glasses: NEZ. When I started needing reading glasses, I found them uncomfortable when using headphones. I bought a pince-nez (pinch nose in French) which sorta worked but they kept slipping off, so I went back to standard readers with temples. Besides, they didn't make me look cool like Morpheus.

Laurence Fishburne as Morpheus from The Matrix

23. Pranks with rolls, for short: TPS. Toilet Paperings are usually messy but harmless, yet one was in the news this week when a teacher in GA was accidentally run over by some of his students. Sad situation.

24. "Watch it!": HEY. This could be another WARNING!

26. Your, in French: TES. 

29. "__ Rae": Sally Field film: NORMA. NORMA Rae is based on the true story of a textile worker who fought a trade union over poor working conditions. Sally won the Best Actress Oscar in the 52th Academy Awards for her portrayal.

30. Univ. senior's test: GRE. Graduate Record Examination.

31. Sprite: ELF. 

32. Actor Julia who played Gomez Addams: RAUL. He was the second to play the head of the "altogether ooky" Addams family.

John Astin, Raul Julia and Luis Guzman

34. Mani-__: PEDI. Manicure and PEDIcure.

38. Foldable bed: COT.

39. Amount to: ARE. The verb "to be" is always tricky to define.

40. Announcement before closing time: LAST CALL.

41. And so on: Abbr.: ETC. The abbreviation of ET Cetera.

42. 1930s film star known for double entendres: MAE WEST. She certainly was known for her double entendres!

43. Kyiv's country: UKRAINE. I first learned of Ukraine, and the world at large, by playing Risk as a child.

46. Bad argument, informally: WEAK TEA.

47. "Fresh Air" airer: NPR. National Public Radio.

48. Sault __ Marie: STE.

50. Orecchiette shape: EAR. Orecchiette means "little ears" from Southern Italian cuisine. I never heard this.

51. Comedy routine: SHTICK.

52. "So's __ old man!": YER. "Same to you, buddy!"

56. Stays in tents: CAMPS. Stays intense: VIVID.

A vivid tent?

58. Goes out for a bit?: NAPS. Fun clue.

59. Milan lang.: ITAL. ITALian is the language spoken at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympic Games, which are currently in progress.

60. Orkan farewell syllables: NANU. Often repeated by Mork from Ork, played by Robin Williams.  Not to be confused with Oaken farewell syllables by Treebeard (the Ent) in Lord of the Rings, "I'll look for thee, and wait for thee, until we meet again."

61. Crack a smile: GRIN.

62. "The More You Know" TV spot, e.g.: PSA. A Public Service Announcement that lets me know more.

65. Get some sun: TAN.

66. Philly summer hrs.: EDT. Philadelphia summer hours. We switched to Eastern Daylight Time this past Sunday, in case you're wondering why you've been late to work every day this week. You're welcome.

Be good. RB